


Flare Up

by BreakfastTea



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, gladio in big brother mode, mentions of Noct's back injury, physiotherapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 10:31:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15168770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreakfastTea/pseuds/BreakfastTea
Summary: After a fight with a Dualhorn, Noctis' old injury flares up and his right leg gives out on him. It's up to Gladio to help him recover.





	Flare Up

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! My third and final fic for this week, courtesy of NoctWhumpWeek! Using the prompt "A victory is short-lived when the bros realise Noct is injured." I kinda tweaked it to fit in with an Ask I had on my Tumblr about what might happen if Noctis' right leg just gave out on him from time to time due to the Marilith attack.

It was a tough fight, the Dualhorn moving fast and swinging hard. Ignis doled out the orders. Squinting in the late afternoon sunshine, Noctis ignored the warning pain in his back and warped in from behind, burying his blade deep in the creature’s back. It bucked, throwing him off. He warped to safety, but the instant his feet touched the ground, his right leg crumpled beneath him. He hit the ground, pain whiting out his vision. By the time he could see again, his friends had finished off the Dualhorn. Prompto whooped for joy, dancing happily. “We’re alive!” he cheered.

While Gladio laughed at Prompto’s antics, Ignis pulled his spear free of the Dualhorn’s corpse. “Good work,” he said. “I suggest we make our way to the haven. It will be dark soon.”

“Do we have to camp here?” Prompto moaned. “It’s so hot!”

“It’ll cool down soon enough,” Ignis said.

“But I’m sweaty and gross!” Prompto whined. “Can’t we find somewhere with showers?”

Ignis sighed. “Yes, perhaps.”

Prompto cheered. “Didja hear that, Noct? Hotel beds for us tonight!”

Noctis tried to stand up but his right leg refused to take his weight. He collapsed again. Pain radiated through his back and down his leg, stealing his breath. Dammit, not now. He didn’t have time for a flare up.

“Noct, come on, King’s Knight awaits!” Prompto called.

“Yeah,” Noctis called back, wincing as he heard the pain in his voice. No way would that go unnoticed.

Ignis was at his side in seconds. “What’s wrong?”

“Leg,” Noctis said.

Ignis didn’t need to ask anything else. He looked over his shoulder. “Gladio. We need you.”

Gladio came over. Ignis gave them space, walking over to join Prompto to keep watch. Noctis looked up at Gadio, knowing what was coming. Gladio had learned all the physiotherapy Noctis needed at times like this after a training incident years ago. Gladio hadn’t thought it through when he’d given Noctis a hefty tap on the back. Back then, Noctis hadn’t gotten on well with Gladio, and Gladio had been frustrated with what he thought was a haughty attitude. What he hadn’t known was Noctis’ back and leg were playing up, so when Gladio delivered the blow, he sent Noctis crashing to the ground. And unlike previous days when Noctis had pushed himself up and limped away, he hadn’t been able to move. He’d been unable to walk for almost a week after that. And now, he felt that gut-wrenching terror again. What if this was it, and he’d never be able to walk again?

“Noct? You with me?” Gladio asked.

“Yeah, sorry.”

“I’m gonna move your leg, see what we’re working with.”

Lips pressed together, Noctis nodded.

Noctis endured Gladio moving his right leg through the usual stretches and manipulations as quietly as he could. Noctis’ joints grinded painfully. He felt the electric shock of pinched nerves and the burn of badly swollen muscles. Gladio found the worst point of pain and massaged them. Noctis cried out, unable to silence himself.

“It’s gotta be done,” Gladio said.

“I know,” Noctis gasped. If he wanted any chance of walking any time soon, he had to endure it. Leaving his leg wasn’t an option; the exercises were designed to keep everything moving no matter how painful. If he didn’t, stiffness would set it and his leg would be useless, maybe for the rest of his life. That wasn’t an option.

By the time Gladio finished, Noctis’ back hurt as much as his leg, tendrils of pain crawling out of his leg and heading through his scar. He hid his eyes behind his forearm, focusing on his shaky breathing.

“You wanna try standing?” Gladio asked.

“Yeah.” Noctis took Gladio’s hand. “Give me a second.” He needed to wait out the wave of pain burning through his muscles and joints. If he stood up right now, he’d either pass out or vomit all over Gladio.

“Not so tense,” Gladio said. “Relax.”

“Trying,” Noctis said.

“Breathe with me,” Gladio said.

Noctis matched him, taking in soothing breaths. “Okay,” he said. “I’m ready.”

Gladio hauled Noctis upright. Noctis tried to put his weight on his leg, but it gave out instantly. Pain stabbed up into his back and down to his knee. “Shit!” He gripped Gladio. “I can’t –”

“It’s okay. Relax. Do you want to lie down again?” Gladio asked.

“No. We need to get out of here.” Sweat peppered Noctis’ brow. Had the temperature somehow shot up in the past few minutes? He clung to Gladio, the pain in his body unrelenting. His scar pulsed like it would tear itself open again.

“Don’t worry about that right now,” Gladio said. “Tell me what I can do that’s going to cause the least amount of pain.”

“I don’t know,” Noctis gasped.

“Yeah, you do. It’s your body. Calm down and tell me.”

Teeth clenched so hard his entire jaw ached, Noctis nodded. “I need to lie down.  On my front.”

“Alright.” Gladio helped him back down.

Noctis couldn’t contain a sharp hiss as Gladio lowered him back to the ground. Taking the weight off his back and legs helped, but it wasn’t enough.  

“Better?” Gladio asked.

Noctis grunted. “Gonna need one of those potions,” he said.

“You brought some with us?” Gladio asked.

Noctis laughed bitterly. “Like Ignis or Dad would let me leave without them,” he said.

“They in the car or the Armiger?” Gladio asked.

“Car. Didn’t want anyone using them by mistake in a fight,” Noctis said.

“Heh, smart kid,” Gladio said. “You know we’re gonna have to go through the exercises later, right?”

Noctis paled. “I know,” he said.

“Don’t worry about it for now. Let’s just get you to Longwhyte.” Gladio looked up. “Ignis, Prompto. One of you needs to grab something from the car. The other one’s gonna have to keep watch.”

“I can go,” Prompto said. “I’m the fastest. What do we need?”

“Noct? Where did you put them?” Gladio asked.

Noctis looked at Prompto, relieved to see his friend looking determined rather than pitying. “There are five potions in the bottom of my bag. My dad made them. You’ll be able to tell the difference.”

“Got it,” Prompto said. He flashed a brief smile. “I’ll be quick. Stay safe, guys.”

Noctis listened to Prompto’s foot falls disappearing into the distance. The distraction took his mind away from the pain for a while, but as the heat seeped out of the day, he found himself shivering. It only made the pain worse.

Ignis came over and tucked his jacket around Noctis. Its warmth sank into him, fighting back some of the pain. “It won’t be long,” Ignis said.

Noctis said nothing. Ignis returned to keeping watch while Gladio stayed at Noctis’ side. Noctis had to concentrate on not tensing up too much. Years of dealing with his scarred and damaged body meant he knew the routines to deal with flare ups. But he was also supposed to know how to stop them from being this bad. Instead, he’d ignored the pain and pushed himself harder than his body could take.

Noctis buried his face in his arms. He was an idiot. He’d ignored the pain for days, chalked it up to all the fights they’d had since leaving the city. But he knew the warning signs. After twelve years, he knew the pain he experienced right before his right leg would just give out on him.

Stupid. He was stupid. And now he was putting everyone in danger.

By the time Prompto made it back, Noctis had his eyes squeezed shut so no one could see the tears in his eyes. The pain was turning his stomach, and it took every scrap of concentration to keep him from throwing up. The thought of one of those specialist potions, even with its not so helpful side-effects, was the only thing keeping him going.

“Open your eyes,” Gladio said.

Noctis did what he was told, hand held out for the potion. Even that was enough to send waves of agony cascading through him. Gladio crouched down and helped him break the potion. Magic and medicine hit him, leaving numbness in their wake. Familiarity washed through him as Noctis felt his father’s magic fighting back the pain of his old scars. The potion brought relief and sorrow. The pain of losing his father hit him again. Dad was _gone_. These last potions were all Noctis had of him right now. His throat tightened, tears threatening to overwhelm him.

“Alright, let’s get you up before you pass out,” Gladio said. “You know what these are like.”

Noctis knew very well. The powerful combination of medicine and cure magic left him too tired to do anything. It was why he used them sparingly, and never put them in the Armiger. If someone grabbed one of these by mistake midbattle, they’d sleep through their own messy death.

Gladio helped him to up. Noctis could only stand on his left leg; his right wouldn’t hold him anytime soon. Pain rocked him, but the potion overcame it in seconds. Noctis was light-headed with relief. Gladio crouched down so Noctis could climb onto his back. Embarrassed, he kept his eyes turned away from the others. He hated it, hated being literally unable to carry his own weight. They were supposed to be fighting to reclaim Insomnia and Lucis, but right now he couldn’t even walk.

“Relax,” Gladio said. “Let the medicine do its work.”

Noctis relaxed the death grip he had around Gladio. He allowed himself to feel the magic in his blood, carrying the painkillers and muscle relaxers through him. Soon, he wouldn’t need to be told to relax; his body wouldn’t be able to do anything else.

“Let’s move,” Ignis said. “It’s not far to the car. Prompto, lead the way.”

“Got it!”

Noctis watched the landscape go by, eyes on the stars overhead. They blurred into a mush of light and dark. He giggled at the sight of it, unable to help himself. Gladio laughed too, the rumble of it passing through Noctis’ body. “Gave you the good stuff, huh?”

Drowsiness and exhaustion melded, weighing Noctis’ eyes down. “Real good,” he slurred, resting his head on Gladio’s broad shoulder. “Dad never lets me suffer.”

Gladio’s fond laugh shook Noctis again. “Sleep tight, kid.”

Noctis was out before they reached the car.

* * *

Ignis checked them into Longwhyte’s motel. Gladio stayed in the back of the car, Noctis splayed across him. Prompto turned in the front seat. “He okay?” he asked, his voice quiet with concern.

“He will be,” Gladio said. He brushed one hand over Noctis’ head. No fever. Good.

“I forget, y’know? About his back and his leg. I mean sure, he’s kinda got a weird walk, but he’s fine most of the time,” Prompto said. He sank down, his chin resting on his forearms. “It’s not fair.”

“No, it isn’t,” Gladio said. “But we can deal with it.”

Ignis returned. “The room is ready,” he said. He looked at Gladio. “I’ve left the door open. Go on ahead. Prompto and I will bring our luggage.”

Lifting Noctis out of the car, Gladio took him inside. He placed Noctis on the bed, rolling him onto his left side. He pulled Noctis’ boots and socks off. His jacket was in the car. For once, he’d taken Gladio’s advice and ditched it. Noctis had never overcome his body shyness, although Gladio knew that was down to the scar he had running across his back, and the subsequent surgical scars going along with it. Magic had only done so much back then.

Gladio ran his hand through Noctis’ hair, pushing it off his forehead. “Sleep well,” he said. “Work starts in the morning.”

Noctis didn’t even stir. He never did. King Regis and the doctors had worked hard to create the potions Noctis used to manage his back problems.

The others came in with their bags. Prompto dashed back out to grab some food from the diner. Ignis pulled his chair to Noctis’ side, placing the back of his hand against Noctis’ forehead.

“He’s okay,” Gladio said. “Just gonna have to run him through his physio routine until his leg remembers what it’s supposed to do.”

“Indeed,” Ignis said. He reached out for Noctis’ hand, holding it gently. “I still hate to see him like this.”

“Yeah, me too,” Gladio said.

Prompto returned with dinner. It was a quiet affair, even though Gladio knew nothing would wake Noctis up right now. They took turns in the shower, and shortly before midnight they turned in. Gladio stayed close to Noctis, knowing that if Noctis awoke or rolled out of bed, he was the only one physically capable of lifting Noctis with ease. But Noctis slept through, and even though Gladio woke a few times to check, he wasn’t needed.

Dawn broke through the blinds. Gladio heard Ignis stirring. He was always the first awake. Gladio left him to it for a while, listening with his eyes shut to the familiar sound of Ignis drinking an Ebony. After fifteen minutes, Gladio opened his eyes and sat up. Ignis was at the foot of the bed, staring at Noctis. Prompto snored softly on the other bed, still fast asleep.

“Morning,” Gladio said.

“Good morning. We’ll need to wake him,” Ignis said. “He needs to drink at least. It’s too hot here for him to go without water.”

“Later,” Gladio said. “The longer he rests, the more likely it is his leg will recover sooner.”

“I’ve come up with a number of contingencies,” Ignis said. He looked grim. “Including some for the very worst-case scenarios.”

“He’ll be alright,” Gladio said. “Relax. The more stressed you are, the more he’s gonna push himself before he’s ready.”

“I know,” Ignis said. He rubbed his eyes, dislodging his glasses. “I always worry when he has these flare ups.”

“At least you never caused one,” Gladio said.

“You can’t still blame yourself for that,” Ignis said.

“I should’ve known,” Gladio said. He laughed bitterly. “I’ve never seen my dad so angry with me. I think the whole Citadel heard him.” He still felt the shame. He was supposed to protect Noctis no matter what, not hurt him. Back then, he’d thought Noctis was a spoiled brat who ran away when things got too tough. But that wasn’t Noctis’ way at all. He hid from others so they couldn’t see him suffering. “Dad told me I needed to recognise Noct’s silence for what it was.”

“He doesn’t hold it against you,” Ignis said.

“Yeah, I know,” Gladio said, looking down at his sleeping friend. “Still, not my finest moment.”

They left Noctis to sleep for as long as he needed. Prompto woke up and made a breakfast run. A quiet morning followed. Ignis checked their stocks, Prompto cleaned his weapons, and Gladio read his latest book. All of them kept checking on Noctis. Gladio smiled to himself behind his book. None of them were doing a very good job of looking like they were completely relaxed.

Noctis stirred at 11am. Gladio kept a close eye on Noctis’ right leg, looking for any sign of it moving. He released a deep breath when Noctis bent it. That was already a huge improvement over yesterday.

“Noct! Good morning!” Prompto said.

“Morning,” Noctis said. He still looked totally out of it. He blinked, his hair sticking up at wild angles. “Everyone okay?”

“We’re fine,” Ignis said. “Are you alright?”

“I think I’m awake.” Noctis’ eyes drifted shut again.

Prompto snorted. “You might wanna keep both eyes open.”

Gladio stepped in. “You know what we gotta do.”

Noctis sighed. “Yeah.”

Ignis cleared his throat. “Come along, Prompto. We should have a look around the town.”

“Oh! Right! Yeah. Okay.” He leapt up and followed Ignis out.

“Can’t it wait?” Noctis asked. “I’m really comfortable.”

“You know the drill.” Gladio held out a hand. “Bed’s too soft so we’ll have to do this on the ground.”

Noctis took Gladio’s hand. “I’m ready.”

“We’re taking it slowly,” Gladio said.

“Yeah.”

Gladio helped Noctis to sit up. “That okay?”

“Yeah, good thanks.”

“Potion still working?”

“Not so well.”

“I know it sucks, but that’s a good thing. Means we can find your limits.”

Noctis didn’t reply.

Gladio grabbed a blanket off the other bed and spread it over the motel’s carpet. He returned to Noctis and grabbed him by the arms, scooting him to the edge of the bed. Noctis moved his right leg. It was stiff and Gladio saw him wince, but it moved.

“Stiff?” Gladio asked.

“Sore,” Noctis said.

“We won’t try standing yet,” Gladio said. “Let’s go through the exercises. If it takes your weight, we’ll do some stretches. Okay?”

“Yeah.”

Gladio lowered Noctis to the ground and ran him through the physio routine, extending his leg, checking to see how much weight it could tolerate, and manipulating it to free up any trapped nerves. With the medicine well and truly worn off, Gladio had to ignore Noctis’ pained gasps and cries as he followed the whole cycle. By the time it ended, Noctis was dripping with sweat and alarmingly pale. Gladio gave him a minute to recover before helping him to sit up.

“Ready?” Gladio asked.

“Yeah,” Noctis said.

Gladio knew Noctis was lying, but he was proud of the kid for putting on a brave face. Together, they got Noctis to his feet. Or left foot, anyway. He didn’t put his right leg down. Gladio watched, hopeful, as Noctis moved his right leg, checking its range of movement. Limited, yes, but at least he could move it. He watched, silent, as Noctis tested his weight. He hissed. “No,” he said. “Not yet.”

“But we got it moving again,” Gladio said. “That’s an improvement.”

“Yeah,” Noctis said. Gladio could hear his relief through the pain. “That’s good.”

“Alright. You want another potion?”

“No. It’s not that bad,” Noctis said. “I’ve got regular painkillers in my bag.”

“Alright. Where do you want to sit?”

“Chair,” Noctis said. “If I get back into bed, I’m just gonna sleep.”

“You can if that’s what you need,” Gladio said.

“No, I gotta keep moving,” Noctis said. He hopped to the chair and sat himself down. “Can’t let it get too stiff.”

“Alright.” Gladio grabbed Noctis’ painkillers and a glass of water. “Just don’t force it. You know how this goes. There’s no rush so don’t push it.”

Noctis nodded, knocking the pills back.

Gladio couldn’t resist a lecture. “If your back starts to hurt this badly again, what do you do?”

Noctis pouted.

Gladio crossed his arms. “I’m sorry, that didn’t sound like an answer.”

Noctis sighed. “I need to say something before it’s this bad.”

“Correct answer,” Gladio said.

Noctis looked up. “Thanks, Gladio.”

Gladio ruffled his hair. “Anytime.”

Noctis batted his hand away, but Gladio saw the smile on his face. It might be a tough few days, but they’d get through it. They always did.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading everyone! I'll be back with more ASAP :D


End file.
